30th Annual Carolina Blues Festival, May 21, hosts Elvin Bishop

30th Annual Carolina Blues Festival, May 21, hosts Elvin Bishop   Greensboro, NC - 2015 Rock ‘n Roll and 2016 Blues Hall of Fame Inductee, Elvin Bishop, will headline the 30th Annual Carolina Blues Festival in association with YES! Weekly, May 21 at Barber Park Amphitheater, 1500 Dans Road, Greensboro, NC. Additional performances from Bob Margolin, Samantha Fish, Marquise Knox, along with Dangerous Gentlemens, Blind Dog Gatewood, and young Seth Williams, round out the day long blues festival and 30th birthday bash!  Music gets underway at 1:45pm. The Carolina Blues Festival has the distinction of being the longest-running blues festival in the Southeastern United States, with the Piedmont Blues Preservation Society having produced blues festivals since 1986. Attendees from all over the U.S. come to Greensboro for this annual event. Join us for outstanding blues music, Arts & Craft vendors, a variety of food trucks, and for an extra fun, the Worlds Largest Playable Fender Stratocaster and Telecaster Guitars! Tickets range from $45 general admission to $75 for Gold Circle seating.  Advance tickets are available at http://fest.piedmontblues.org/ or through Eventbrite: http://bit.ly/1TX1EjN Day of show tickets will be $50 at the gate. We invite you to come early to Greensboro for Blues Week May 14-20 leading to the Carolina Blues Festival on May 21, to enjoy the great offerings of Greensboro. Blues is a regular part of Greensboro's music scene with several weekly open blues jams and blues music playing at clubs throughout the area. See what events are happening through our Music Calendar!   Get your tickets for the Carolina Blues Festival, Greensboro, NC: http://fest.piedmontblues.org/ For more info: info@piedmontblues.org Facebook Twitter Website The Piedmont Blues Preservation Society is a non-profit, all volunteer 501 C 3 organization.

Six Alligator Artists Win LIVING BLUES Awards

SIX ALLIGATOR ARTISTS WIN LIVING BLUES AWARDS

Living Blues magazine has announced the recipients of the 2015 Living Blues Awards. Six Alligator Records artists received a total of six awards. In the Critics' Poll, James Cotton won Most Outstanding Musician (Harmonica), Joe Louis Walker won Most Outstanding Musician (Guitar) and Selwyn Birchwood won for Best Blues Album of 2014 (New Recording/Best Debut) for Don't Call No Ambulance. In the Readers' Poll, Shemekia Copeland (whose new CD Outskirts Of Love will be released on September 11) received the award for Blues Artist Of The Year (Female). Marcia Ball won for Most Outstanding Musician (Keyboard) and Elvin Bishop won Best Blues Album Of 2014 (New Release) for his Grammy-nominated Can't Even Do Wrong Right.

CRITICS' POLL WINNERS:

SELWYN BIRCHWOOD:

Best Blues Album Of 2014 (New Recording/Best Debut):

Don't Call No Ambulance











JAMES COTTON:

Most Outstanding Musician (Harmonica)












JOE LOUIS WALKER:

Most Outstanding Musician (Guitar)

READERS' POLL WINNERS:

SHEMEKIA COPELAND:

Blues Artist Of The Year (Female)










ELVIN BISHOP:

Best Blues Album Of 2014 (New Release):

Can't Even Do Wrong Right

 MARCIA BALL:

Most Outstanding Musician (Keyboard)

Three Alligator Artists Receive Five Blues Music Awards

Elvin Bishop Leads All Artists -- Wins Album, Song And Band Of The Year

Newcomer Selwyn Birchwood Wins Best New Artist Album Of The Year

Marcia Ball Wins Piano Player Of The Year -- The 10th BMA Of Her Career

On Thursday, May 7, 2015, The Blues Foundation announced the winners of the 2015 Blues Music Awards, the blues world's highest honors. Blues legend and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Elvin Bishop led all artists with three awards. His Grammy-nominated 2014 release Can't Even Do Wrong Right won Album Of The Year and the title track won Song Of The Year. The Elvin Bishop Band took the award for Band Of The Year. Bishop had been nominated eight previous times but hadn't won until now. On Monday, May 11, Bishop will appear on TBS' CONAN, sitting in with Jimmy Vivino and the Basic Cable Band.

Newcomer Selwyn Birchwood -- winner of the 2013 International Blues Challenge -- received the award for Best New Artist Album Of The Year for his breakout Alligator debut, Don't Call No Ambulance. This is Birchwood's first nomination and first win.

Austin piano queen Marcia Ball won the Pinetop Perkins Piano Player Of The Year Award. This is Ball's 10th career Blues Music Award. She has received a total of 44 nominations.

The 36th Annual Blues Music Awards were presented in Memphis on Thursday, May 7, 2015 at the Cook Convention Center.

Alligator artists and awards are as follows:

ELVIN BISHOP:
Album Of The Year - Can't Even Do Wrong Right
Song Of The Year - Can't Even Do Wrong Right (written by Elvin Bishop)
Band Of The Year - The Elvin Bishop Band










SELWYN BIRCHWOOD:
Best New Artist Album Of The Year - Don't Call No Ambulance











MARCIA BALL:
Pinetop Perkins Piano Player Of The Year

Rock And Roll Hall Of Famer Elvin Bishop To Appear On CONAN on May 11

Blues guitar master Elvin Bishop -- newly inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame -- will appear on TBS' CONAN on Monday, May 11. The legendary guitarist will sit in with Jimmy Vivino and the Basic Cable Band for the duration of the show.

Last month, Bishop was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for the groundbreaking music he made with The Paul Butterfield Blues Band. Bishop's latest solo album, Can't Even Do Wrong Right, has been hailed as the best of his long career. Rolling Stone says the CD is "among Bishop’s very best...Impeccable playing by a legendary guitarist…engaging singing and most notably, good spirits…a great showing for a distinguished American player."

Can't Even Do Wrong Right finds Bishop playing, writing and singing some of the most distinctive blues and roots music today. The album proves that Bishop is as vital and creative an artist now as he was when he first hit the national scene in 1965 with The Paul Butterfield Blues Band. He is as slyly good-humored and instantly crowd-pleasing as he was when he was scoring Southern rock-styled hits during the 1970s. For five decades, he has never stopped touring or releasing instantly recognizable music featuring his inventive playing, easygoing vocals, witty lyrics and good-time humor.

In addition to his new album and his Rock Hall induction, Bishop's 1975 hit Fooled Around And Fell In Love found new life in the 2014 box-office smash Guardians Of The Galaxy. The soundtrack hit #1 on the Billboard Top 200 chart and received a Grammy Award nomination.

Edmonton Blues Festival on August 21, 22 & 23

 

Purple Pyramid Records artist: Harvey Mandel - Snake Box - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, Snake Box, from Harvey Mandel and it's very adventurous. For those of you unfamiliar with Mandel's work, he played with Charlie Musselwhite, Canned Heat, John Mayall, Rolling Stones, Love and the Ventures. This 6 disc set, 5 studio releases packaged in original covers and one live jam set make up a good cross section of Mandel's early work. Also in the box are 4 pages of liner notes, poster photos and track info.

Disc One, Cristo Redentor was released in 1968 and shows a strong slice of the musical experimentation that was happening at the time. Before Six with it's Latin rhythm and horns is not unlike things that Butterfield was experimenting with. Musselwhite adds his distinctive harp tones on the Lark. The Snake has a lot of the sounds that you would expect from a San Francisco band of the late 60's. Long Wait shows true signs of blues roots with interesting interweaving of guitar, keys and percussion. A long experimental guitar solo on Wade In The Water backed by strings shows definite direction. You Can't tell Me has a poppy rhythm but again aggressively mixed musical styles. This is a disc that definitely warrants a listen if you don't know or already love the roots of jam music.

Disc Two, Righteous, released in 1969 shows a blues progression opening with the title track and Mandel doing guitar swells over a 12 bar melody. Jive Samba has a much smoother jazz ballad feel with strong horn backing. Funk steps up on Love Of Life with horns and drums laying down a 60's splashed horn track and Mandel taking a bluesy solo over the top. Quite cool! Poontang again shows the early fusion of blues, soul, rock and R&B with keys and guitar. Cool! Just A Hair More is a straight up slow blues with Mandel wailing away. Excellent!

 Disc Three, Games Guitars Play, released in 1970 shows a more mature and adventurous jazz blues fusion opening with a cool funky Leavin' Trunk. Very nice! Classic Honky Tonk has the blues country feel with a Roy Buchanan like flair. Excellent! Capurange is one of my favorites on this disc with a cool rhythm and twin guitar leads. A cool exploration with just enough solidity.

 Disc Four, Baby Batter, released in 1971 has an even closer to the funky side of the blues with similarity in features to the Oblivion Express. Title track has a great groove and more succinct guitar soloing. Midnight Sun, remaining in the funky groove shows Mandel's continued maturation and control of his own expression on the guitar. Morton Grove Mama is a cool boogie with Mandel trading off with Howard Wales on organ and a strong driving bass line of Larry Taylor. Freedom Ball is a real funky track but with wailing guitar work from Mandel and groovin drums by Colin Bailey and congo by Big Black. El Stinger has some really intense guitar work over a loose funky rhythm. Hank The Ripper, the disc closer goes back to primary 12 bar form but with again loose experimentation. A definite change in each disc.

 Disc Five, The Snake, released in 1972 shows a further polishing and change to a more structured but still intense style. Opening with The Divining Rod has a great tight drum intensity and Mandel takes a structured approach to his experimentation. Very cool! Title track, The Snake has a real swampy funk and a eerie guitar lead. Levitation is a cool 12 bar number with steel and 6 string work. Certainly not your typical blues but definitely a solid blues beat and cool guitars. Wrapping disc 5 is Bite The Electric Eel with a solid drive consistent with the style I associate with Jeff Beck. Straight ahead beat and reckless guitar work. Excellent!

 Disc Six, Live At The Matrix was recorded live in San Francisco in 1968 with Jerry Garcia, Elvin Bishop, Stephen Miller, Mickey Hart and John Chambers. Opening with Jam, a 36 plus minute jam featuring a dead like extended guitar jam. Elvin Bishop's You've Got to Feel It is up next and holds the soul groove to Bishop's band. Nice guitar work and Miller's key work fill the track. An extended 3 O'clock In The Morning has a definite blues groove. Picking up speed as the track progresses over 9 minutes, the guitars interweave. She's A Mojo Worker has a definite R&B feel and extending over 20 minutes, finds the guitar players searching each expression.

 This is a very cool exhibition of Mandel's early work and one that will find interesting to the extent that you like guitar, improvisation and history of rock and blues music.

  If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! -  ”LIKE”

 

Alligator Records artist: Elvin Bishop - Can't Even Do Wrong Right - New release Review

I just received the newest release, Can't Even Do Wrong Right, from Elvin Bishop and it's the best of Bishop in possibly 15 years. I have been a huge Elvin Bishop fan since his first note on the first Butterfield Blues band stuff and my admiration grew as he became more loose. He is an excellent guitar player, raucous story teller and an all around amazing performer. This release takes me back to his more primitive style days of Juke Joint Jump and Let It Flow and that is excellent! Opening with the title track, Can't Even Do Wrong Right, Bishop fronts as a vocalist and is right up to one of his curious stories. Bishop has such a great time with his stories you can't help but not only get sucked in but want to sit down and party with him! He has his 345 cranked up to fat and you sit thinking, this guy invented the real country blues... this is absolutely excellent! Blues With A Feeling has a real strong Bishop country funk with cool vocal harmonies. Bishop plays both slide and his signature straight blues riffs. This is another terrific track and one that strikes you right between your Bishop loving crossed eyes. On Old School, Bishop is joined by Charlie Musselwhite and with only light percussion, rhythmic bass, Bishop and and Charlie trade riffs. Very cool. On R&B style ballad Let Your Woman Have Her Way, old band mate Mickey Thomas (Fooled Around And Fell In Love), takes the lead vocal lead joined by gospel like backing vocals and organ. Regretfully, the literature supplied to me doesn't allocate credit to these talented participants but I will say that this is a really nice track showcasing Thomas, and Bishop plays a really tasty and classically memorable slide solo. Super! No More Doggin' has Bishop back in the easy two steppin blues and playing slide melody. Oh Yeah! This is what you real Bishop guitar fans come for... to hear the dog bark. Bishop has not lost a quarter of a step playing with the wisdom of a 90 year old and the fire of a 20 year old... with a lot of time on his hands to have some real fun. Musselwhite does really fine harp solos complimenting Bishop making, this instrumental track a tight highlight for both artists on this release. Everybody's In The Same Boat is a cool down and dirty blues track. Bishop takes the opportunity to tell one of his thought provoking but light hearted stories with a twist of humor but also with that great guitar work that we all want to hear. Very solid track. Dancin' has a definite taste of gumbo with the addition of accordion stylistic percussion. There is even some steel guitar thrown in to the mix but this track is all Bishop... loaded with fun! Honest I Do is a brilliant instrumental with lush guitar work both fat and lightly articulate reminiscent of dual guitar leads featuring Johnny V and Bishop in earlier years. Addition of accordion gives it a Louisiana spice. Excellent! Bo Weevil is all fun with the pure Zydeco sound and Elvin's vocal style fitting the bill perfectly. With both accordion and guitar taking the instrumental this is a well balanced track and a lot of fun. Wrapping the release is classic Hey-Ba-Ba-Re-Bop, a hard stompin rockabilly blues track. With a cool coronet solo on this track as well as guitar, this is an excellent track leaving you wanting more. Bishop pulls out the stops on guitar on this track with his carefree, freewheeling guitar style guaranteed to put a smile on your Elvin lovin face! This is an excellent release and one that I will be playing for a long time!  

If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! -  ”LIKE”

 

Blues at the Beach

	Hit up your family and friends and make plans for a day at the beach! The Blues at the Beach will be held at the beautiful Ventura State beach. One of the last hidden jewels on the west coast, just south of the historic Ventura Pier and Promenade. Come and spend the day with like minded people enjoying the Blues at the Beach. The festival includes Live Music, Car Show with classic cars, trucks and motorcycles, Vendors, Kid Zone, and non stop fun for the whole family! Discounts on host hotels walking distance from the festival. Elvin Bishop "…careening slide and razor-edged bursts, all delivered with unflagging enthusiasm and wit." – Rolling Stone Magazine "One of the genre's most distinctive guitar stylists, melding a slashing attack with a keen ear for melody." – East Bay Express The Mannish Boys Revue featuring Sugaray Rayford with special guests Rusty Zinn or Paul Size "…no finer collection of blues talent exists today in one band." – Blues Revue Magazine "Sugaray Rayford is a revelation as he powerfully moans the blues…" – Blues in Britain Magazine "Rusty Zinn... one of the fastest rising guitarists in the blues world. Noted for his incisive, consistently inventive playing and soul-drenched singing..." - Lee Hildebrand "Paul Size's chops remain top-notch since leaving The Red Devils." - No Fightin "...blistering guitar by Paul Size [who] reaches deep into the blues fountain..." - Mudcat Ward James Harman "Harman's in your face harp stylings made it clear why he is recognized as one of the best harp players on the blues circuit." - Blues on Stage "James Harman as one of the most exciting blues traditionalists." - All Music The 44's "One of the hardest working hardest paying Blues outfits anywhere." - American Blues News "Low down Chicago blues spiced with rock and roll." - Muzik Reviews Shawn Jones "A dynamic stage performer who impresses equally with his stunning guitar work and soulful vocals." - Maverick Magazine, UK "Shawn Jones is one of those rare artists that can burrow their way into your soul." - Blues Matters Magazine The R&B Bombers Joyful, elegant, irrepressible, communicative, The R&B Bombers deserve all these adjectives and their musical qualities really prove it." - La Hora del Blues. Barcelona (Spain) "The rhythm section and 4 horns adhere to the swinging verities with vigor and interest." - Downbeat Magazine Guy Martin Band "Martin music is a far cry from that one-beat, one-song, cry-in-your-beer style of blues...rockin' Texas blues by way of California..." - Los Angeles Times "A steady diet of pulse pounding powerhouses...hard driving fret work of an extremely talented player." - BluesRockers.ws WHEN: November 2, 2013 TIME: 10am-6pm LOCATION: San Buenaventura State Beach 901 San Pedro St, Ventura, CA Presented by Roadshow Revival and Totally Local VC Sponsored by Players Casino Buy your presale tickets online today and save! For a limited time get 20% off!!! General Admission tickets using the code: ELVINATTHEBEACH General Admission - NOW $25 - DAY OF $30 Got Blues Section - $50 / VIP Players Casino - $100 / Youth (6-12) - $5 www.roadshowrevival.com PLEASE NOTE: 01. All sales are final; there are no refunds. 02. All prices listed are "per person". 03. Tickets/Wristbands are non-transferable and non-exchangeable. 04. We are not responsible for lost or stolen Tickets/Wristbands, including those delivered by mail. 05. All customers purchasing a ticket to the Blues at the Beach Festival agree to the festival guidelines. 06. General admission tickets will be $5 more day-of-show, while supplies last. 07. Artists and times are subject to change without notice; the festival is rain or shine. 08. Ticket policies, festival guidelines and important information is available on the Roadshow Revival Website. 09. Tickets purchased online are emailed to purchaser. It is your responsibility to print the ticket and present it at the gate. We are not responsible for lost email/tickets. If you don't receive your tickets via email please contact us.